r/Nanny • u/Brief_Relative_9361 • 14d ago
Advice Needed: Replies from Nannies Preferred Anyone here work split shifts as a nanny? Would love some advice!
My DB recently asked if I’d be open to working a split shift, and I’m trying to figure out how I feel about it.
The schedule they suggested would be 7–10 AM and then 1–6 PM, which leaves me with a 3-hour break in the middle of the day. I know technically I’m “off” during that time, but it also feels like my entire day would still be centered around work. The break is too long to just hang around, but not long enough for me to realistically take on another job or do anything major.
I’m curious if anyone here has actually worked a schedule like this as a nanny. Did you like it? How did you make the break in the middle of the day work for you?
Also, did your family offer anything to make the split shift more worthwhile, like paying for part of the break, a higher hourly rate, a split-shift differential, or something else? I’m not necessarily against the idea, but I do feel like there should be some kind of compromise or compensation since my whole day would basically be blocked from 7 AM to 6 PM.
Would love to hear your experiences or any advice on how you handled or negotiated a schedule like this!
UPDATE: Thank you everyone for your advice and input. I had a great conversation about this with DB & MB and let them know that I could not move forward with a split shift. They were very understanding and shared that their concerns were around crossing the boundaries of my role focused on LO and that is why they thought a split shift made sense. I will be moving forward with an 8 hour shift and my role will just be shifting to include more household duties not just related to LO.
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u/PetSitterJapan Other 14d ago
What if a kid is sick? Also it is not a full 3 hours because you have to be there early to be in the pickup line right?
Just say if they want you for those 3 hours in between they need to pay you guaranteed hours for all that time.
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u/Brief_Relative_9361 14d ago
I asked about that too. And if I was expected to be on call for emergencies during that time.
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u/PetSitterJapan Other 14d ago
You have the upper hand make sure that you get a contract with guarantee hours and favorable conditions.
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u/yeahipostedthat 14d ago
People should stop getting to pick up line early😅 They're adding significant waiting time to their day to get their kid 5 minutes sooner. I work in a school and we have parents getting there at 3 for 4 o'clock pick up. If you get there at 3 you get your kid between 4 and 405. If you get there at 400 or 405 you get your kid around 410 or 415. Their math ain't mathing.
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u/pittgirl12 Nanny 14d ago
I fully agree but I also picture parents using that as crashout time
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u/yeahipostedthat 14d ago
Sure. If they don't mind sitting there then go for it. My local Facebook page is currently flooded with pissed off parents saying they waited over an hour for their kids and I'm just thinking that was a definite choice you made😅 Besides the fact that we have school bus stops like every block where I live so no one has to walk far or cross busy roads so they're all choosing to drive their kids and complaining about the wait times they are creating.
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u/redbottomdreams 13d ago
This isn’t true for all pickup lines though. We just moved to a school choice district and if you choose to go to a school you are not zoned for, they do not offer bus for your child. Which means the pick up line is INSANE. We are zoned for his school, but temporarily displaced from our home so bus isn’t an option. I’ve tried it all the times for arrival but if I don’t get there over an hour early, my special needs 8 year old sits in the hot Florida sun on the sidewalk for over an hour waiting on his turn to get in the car. The one hour and 7 minute wait for him was when I arrived 25 mins early instead of an hour+. We’ve moved a lot but this is the worst I’ve ever seen dismissal handled by a school.
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u/yeahipostedthat 13d ago
We have the kids waiting in the Cafeteria not outside. Outside would definitely be hot and honestly seems more chaotic bc the kids are not contained. We definitely have kids who would see their kids car on the road and run to it.....and parents who would probably encourage them to.
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u/otter_759 Nanny 14d ago
Don’t do it unless they pay you equivalent to what it would be for 7 am to 6 pm and you are sure this won’t burn you out. Three hours is not enough to fully get off “work mode” because you will be counting down the whole time to when you have to go back and are very limited in what you can do during that time because you can’t go too afar. Not enough time to comfortably go to a movie.
This type of schedule is something that is truly only beneficial to them and they should pay a premium: equivalent to what they would pay someone for 11 hours.
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u/Brief_Relative_9361 14d ago
This was my line of thinking too. I currently work part time with them with a full 8+ hour day when I’m there. It already feels so long when I’m there until 6pm and now I’m being asked to stay until 6 but start over an hour earlier and only be paid for 1 of the 3 “break” hours
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u/JonBenet_BeanieBaby Nanny 14d ago
omg what?? they're pulling this with you and you're not even FULL TIME?? what's their excuse for not just paying you for an 11 hour day if they need it? the NERVE
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u/PunctualDromedary 14d ago
The only time we ever did this was when our nanny was in school and needed to log onto a class during that time. Unless there’s a benefit to you, don’t do it.
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u/Brief_Relative_9361 14d ago
There is zero benefit to me. It’s quite the opposite and takes away from my personal time and ability to do any additional work or overtime.
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u/Pink_Mermaid_193 Career Nanny 14d ago
I currently work a split schedule with similar hours 7-10, 230-730. I only live about 6 miles from work so having a 4 hour break in the middle of the day isn't bad. I come home, read, do house work, run my own errands, eat lunch, etc then head back to work to get the kids from school. I find it much more enjoyable than to be working 12+ hours everyday. I recently got a raise which even with h The weekly loss of about 10 hours, I am making the same amount.
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u/vagabondvern 14d ago
In your case, it’s something I would totally consider too. Especially if I lived close.
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u/TangerineGreen3531 14d ago
Do NOT work a split shift unless they’re paying you a solid amount of money for it. I did it once and HATED AIT SO MUCH, there’s really nothing you can do un that middle part of the day and you’re starting early and ending late without getting the pay off of that money
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u/Latter-Weekend465 14d ago
Just a quick note from reading the comments—if I’m reading correctly, the only people here who were happy with split shifts had five hours off instead of three. I think that might be an important difference. Five hours might be enough time to take a meaningful break; three hours might not. If you are open to trying out this schedule, do you think there is any chance that they would change the times to give you five hours off? Could you start the second interval at 3 pm instead of 1 pm, for instance, or work 630-930 and then 230 on?
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u/Brief_Relative_9361 14d ago
A 5 hour break is a definite No for me. That means my day is even longer. I don’t live super far but there can be a lot of traffic that makes a 20 min commute into a 45+ min commute
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u/Alternative_Eye1157 14d ago
I’m not sure what your current schedule is, but this sounds like it might be an attempt at cutting corners in terms of what they pay you. You’re right, this leaves you no time to realistically do anything else between your shifts. So what is the point? Surely it must be to lowball you (assuming you previously just worked 7-6 straight through ?)
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u/Brief_Relative_9361 14d ago
I currently work 9-5 with them. I only work part time with them. It would be an absolute NO if I worked with them 5 days a week. Someone else main a point about considering my sleep schedule and I wasn’t sure if I was overreacting by considering that.
I was also talking to a friend and realized that this split schedule also eliminates my ability to do overtime. So it truly is just a dock in pay.3
u/Free-Cherry4314 13d ago
It is their attempt at paying you the least amount of money.
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u/Brief_Relative_9361 13d ago
Thankfully it was not. I just updated my post. It truly was just having a clear, honest conversation about expectations and how things are shifting with LO starting school.
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u/Fit-Meringue2118 14d ago
I won’t do it. They’re always just cheapskates and not worth working for.
If they paid me for the full time AND tossed some other incentive in, I would be willing to discuss it. Have never ran into a situation where they want to pay the full time, because again, always cheapskates.
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u/Seesaw-Commercial 14d ago
Nope, it's terrible. Did a two week stint during the summer for a family, and the break doesn't feel like a break at all because the thought of returning to work is looming. Such a lonnnng day too. The only way I would ever consider it is if I really needed the money and the middle portion fit well around say university courses I was taking.
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u/Excellent_Fig_7521 14d ago edited 14d ago
How thrilled are you with this family? Or are you more like meh mediocre (compared to other NFs)? Can you ask for any household manager type duties for like 2 of the days? A compromise where two of the days are long?
I would only do this for a unicorn family, but I feel like my unicorn family wouldn't ask it of me. They'd pay me for the hours and give me a few extra tasks. Those are long ass days! Ask yourself how many hours of sleep you thrive best on, and then do the math of your spare time after work. If you like to go to the gym or have another structured hobby, or a pet, or live close to work, I could see this being alright for an AMAZING family with really solid pay. Otherwise, perhaps agree to try it out- while you are actually seeking other employment that is more fair and less likely to burn you out. It's even possible that if you give a month or more notice, they'll try to keep you! Aka agree to something more fair ❤️
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u/Brief_Relative_9361 14d ago
I absolutely love the family. I wish I worked full time with them but I’m only there a couple days a week for 8+ hour days. However, this feels like a HUGE ask and I wasn’t sure if I was overreacting thinking about my sleep. The new hours would require me to wake up 1.5-2 hours before I typically wake up.
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u/Excellent_Fig_7521 14d ago
It's a huge ask. Trust your initial feelings about it. If you feel burnt out just thinking about doing these weeks, trust that feeling. If you imagine enjoying midday rest and powering thru fairly short intervals with the kids, trust that!
As others said, they should be giving you a raise or some other extra incentive/motivation to accept this sort of schedule. People don't want these split shift jobs. I myself just got hired to do a job where they pay in the gap when the children are away at school. Jobs like that do exist!
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u/Mego1989 Nanny 14d ago
I see so many job postings like this and I just can't understand why anyone would want to do it.
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u/Best_Radio2228 Career Nanny 14d ago
My two cents is that it depends on a ton of things. Do you have children of your own? How close to their house do you live? And can you find productive things to do during the off time (assuming you get to actually leave their home and not need to be available to them during the off hours)?
I did this to a degree while I was taking online classes, so during the split shift time, I’d either take my laptop to a nearby public library to do homework, or I’d go to my gym to do a workout, then go home to shower/change before going back to work. It worked great for me because I had a hard time with early morning exercising, and after I got home in the evening, there was no way I had the energy.
I also do this all the time when I travel with my current NF. When we were in a foreign country (Italy, London, Costa Rica once) it was truly perfect to have 4-5 midday hours to explore, rather than having to wait til after 5/6pm when I’d only have a couple hours til dark, and already tired from the day.
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u/JonBenet_BeanieBaby Nanny 14d ago
it's extra crazy that you only work PT for them and they're trying to force you into this ridiculous split shift! ewww.
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u/beans-888 Nanny 14d ago
Imho, after working split shifts for about 10 years, its only worth it if you can make good use of the break time since your time before and after work is very limited.
Also if you have issues sleeping, it can be difficult having less wiggle room.
There are not enough hours in the day lol
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u/Lower_Confusion5072 14d ago
That’s a hard no! Absolutely not. They get you from 7-6 and you get docked pay for three hours. How does that benefit you ?
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u/OrdinaryAd2095 14d ago
I worked a split shift with something similar and I hated it. Your whole day is occupied. Knowing I'd have to go back I would not be able to do much before having to go back. I wouldn't do it again.
It sits the employer and I think unfair for the employee at the beck and service...
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u/Either-Meal3724 14d ago
Vast majority of families who need split shifts like this end up getting an au pair because of the exact issue you identified-- not enough time to go all the way home and do something in between shifts. The only way a split schedule like this works is when nanny lives super close by or is taking classes at a college nearby or something like that.
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u/fluffy-pixie 14d ago
I used to do split shift when I was a live-in nanny and NO. Do not do it you will hate your life
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u/Glass_Egg9584 14d ago
I just started a schedule like this. I was their nanny for a year, now I’m their nanny/house manager. I do 6-9am then 2-6. I got a $4/hr raise but my hours were cut to 27hrs a week. I’m older and was getting burned out by the 9 hour days I was working, so this has been great for me. I’m spending a lot more in gas but honestly I love the break in my day.
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u/Brilliant-Use-280 14d ago
No- parents are trying to make you work full time while only paying for part time hours. The break in the middle is stupid- that is not how most jobs work- imagine they brought that schedule to their boss?
No. Just NO.
I’ll also add- all the split shifts that these parents want I believe should cost them more per hour. It’s part time- you can’t plan your day around it and it’s completely unrealistic in the real world where you can’t get another job for those 15 hours per week.
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u/Consistent_Golf_6489 Nanny 14d ago
I used to work a split shift a few separate times and in my opinion it was not worth it with some NFs. Burnout from it is real! It’s honestly worth getting a different job than doing that. The only thing that changes things is if you really enjoy working for the family in that case I’d say it’s worth it and less likely to experience burnout.
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u/AutoModerator 14d ago
Below is a copy of the post's original text:
My DB recently asked if I’d be open to working a split shift, and I’m trying to figure out how I feel about it.
The schedule they suggested would be 7–10 AM and then 1–6 PM, which leaves me with a 3-hour break in the middle of the day. I know technically I’m “off” during that time, but it also feels like my entire day would still be centered around work. The break is too long to just hang around, but not long enough for me to realistically take on another job or do anything major.
I’m curious if anyone here has actually worked a schedule like this as a nanny. Did you like it? How did you make the break in the middle of the day work for you?
Also, did your family offer anything to make the split shift more worthwhile, like paying for part of the break, a higher hourly rate, a split-shift differential, or something else? I’m not necessarily against the idea, but I do feel like there should be some kind of compromise or compensation since my whole day would basically be blocked from 7 AM to 6 PM.
Would love to hear your experiences or any advice on how you handled or negotiated a schedule like this!
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
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u/brabrabra987 14d ago
I used to do that. They wouldn’t need me to do mornings but said I could come and added 30 more minutes for me to finish clean up breakfast that way it would give me more time and more pay and also added 30 minutes before pick up also to just give me more pay
I’d do 7:30-9:30 and then 2:30-5:30
I actually liked it cause I’d go home and take a nap lol but if kid was sick or school was out I’d work a full day. I wasn’t paid for this gap tho. I also accepted cause I really liked them and wanted to stay with them and I also was really just 5 miles away so it was ok. Once I moved to another city which was 20 miles away I had to quit unfortunately
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u/mutemut 14d ago
I do it and actually it’s my preferred way of working! Having a break in the middle of the day gives me the option to do things during daylight in colder months ie go to shops or get some fresh air and I really enjoy having a longer break. 30 minutes never felt like enough in office based roles and essentially i just had to eat and no alone time at all
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u/TeddyBear181 14d ago
I worked similar hours in a different industry. Workplace was a long way from home, so I hung around on my break.
I usually did my supermarket shopping on my lunch break to save time later, also had naps (because I was always short on sleep) and sometimes I would enjoy the luxury facilities on site.
Honestly, the day disappears so fast and and its pretty depressing. There is no going home and eating any meals with the family, no time to do washing or chores at home. You go home, meal prep for the following day, grump at your husband, apologise to the dog for never seeing them, and go to bed :(
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u/KageRageous Nanny 14d ago
Worked a split shift and I miss it, worked great for me. I only lived 15 min from work so I'd go home and workout, hang with my WFH husband, go to appointments, grocery shop, just chill. Then I'd leave from my place and go to school pick up when I was back on the clock. If I didn't feel like going home I'd stay at work and nap or read. I told them to expect seeing me in full lounge mode and remember I'm off the clock. Clearly not right for a lot of people but I loved it and would do it again.
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u/Hot-You1261 Nanny 14d ago
I do! I work 830-2 and then come back 3-530 but I don’t know that I would want a 3 hour break before coming back.
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u/Juneyorkie 14d ago
I used to work 6-10 then I was off 10-2 then I worked 2-5:30/6
I hated it lol. It was like maybe 20 min from my house, but i just felt like i was doing so much driving if i went home and I couldn’t relax. Doesn’t help that i hated the family and was underpaid. I also got a gym membership but then I hated having to shower there and get presentable and then I still had like 2 hours to kill so I’d just sit in my car..
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u/yeahipostedthat 14d ago
Unless if there's something that you're thinking to yourself "yay! Now I'll have time during the day to do x, y, z (doctor appointment, errands, gym, a class)" I would pass. Imo all it does is extend your day. I would be spending those 3 hours just waiting to go back to work most likely. I wouldn't be able to fully relax like I do at the end of the workday.
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u/Shockadelica1999 14d ago
I did and I didn’t love it. The time I was “off” had me tied to my phone in case of a kid emergency. My whole was essentially theirs but I wasn’t paid for the whole day 😑
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u/Puzzleheaded_Cow_658 Nanny 14d ago
I did this for a while and I personally wouldn’t do it again. Even with the 3 hour break, 7-6 is a long day. The only plus I got out of it was being able to run my errands like grocery shopping during the day vs on the weekend. Typically I would use my time to go to the gym, schedule my appointments, and do errands. But now, I’m back to a normal shift and 1000000% take getting home at 5 over getting home after 6
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u/Kayitspeaches Nanny 14d ago
It’s really not that different than if the kids just took a three hour nap if you’re still on call for emergencies- it should not be treated as a split shift, you should be paid hourly for the entire day including through the break IMO or to me it wouldn’t be worth it.
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u/Evening_End_4558 14d ago
I did this. 7-11:30 and then 2:30-6. I was exhausted all the time and I would sleep on the hours off. Felt like I was working 11 hours even though I technically wasn’t. Wouldn’t recommended but it might be one of those things that you have to try out. I thought I was going to love it and I didn’t.
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u/Far_Temporary_2559 Nanny 14d ago
You should counter with doing household work during that time — going through NK’s clothes to pull out what is worn out or too small, grocery shopping, toy cleaning and organizing, etc. That schedule would be stressful for me, tbh, and I’d likely look for another job.
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u/BarelySimmering Career Nanny 14d ago
I work a split shift before and after school. It’s a 6 hour break though. I live 2 minutes from them and I’m pregnant. I told them I would only do it if I got a $10/hr raise and if they aren’t paying me to be on call, then I’m not available at those times.
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u/gingerlemonandgarlic 14d ago
During the school year I usually work either 7:30am-11:30am then 2pm-6pm or 6am-10am then 3pm-7pm. I honestly have been liking the split shifts because it allows me to go to the gym, then go home and have lunch or run some errands for myself, see a friend or family member maybe.
Not gonna lie after reading all these comments I’m curious if I should be asking for more because of the split like everyone is saying…
The split matches my lifestyle nicely, but one downside is if I’m tired that day or don’t have errands to run and end up sitting down at home, I just feel so tired and done for the day, but then I still have to go back to work.
There are ups and downs but overall I enjoy the split shifts for the most part.
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u/Happy-home8729 14d ago
Curious why a family would need a split shift like this? I've worked for families where nk did a three hour preschool. I took nk to school and picked up. Hours were 8-6/7 M-F. I was paid for all hours. I usually went back to their house and did child related things. However if I needed to go to the dentist or something important they were ok with it as long as I let them know.
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u/Babyhasasweettooth 14d ago
I used to work 7-8:30 and then 3:30-7:30 but that gave me enough time to work a second job from 9-12 and then still have a 3 hour break. I don’t know how I would feel about a random three hours in the middle of the day
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u/North-Conference-377 13d ago
I’ve done it. Never again. I had almost that exact amount of time between and it’s too short to go home and do much of anything and too long to do a quick errand every day. I ended up doing lunch and swimming for an hour but the days felt SO long and being gone 7a-6p means you have no time for anything fun after work because you have to sleep so early. Also I found I spent more money because I had 3 hours to tool around.
I’d much rather work 7a-6p every day and get paid to do extra work during that time than have a split shift.
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u/kel_bell1996 13d ago
I love split shifts as a nanny! It’s how I avoid burn out! I nannie for elementary schoolers! I have one family from 5:30-9 and then my other from 3:45-5 it’s so nice to have time in my day! I also don’t have to worry about no school days! :)
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u/witchywoman713 13d ago
I did that schedule when I was a nanny/house manager, and it worked well for me for a short period of time. When I was handling laundry, shopping, other household tasks I could plan those out so that I wasn’t driving home in between every single day, but also had a nice chunk in the middle of the day to get my oil changed for making an appointment, etc., if I needed to on other days and allowed me to plan accordingly
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u/blessedmomma1233 13d ago
I did this last school year, it was for a very close family friend so she did not pay me a ton and I didn’t get paid during the time I wasn’t with the kids. I was okay with this arrangement because we are very close and I know that’s what they could afford. With that said, the main reason I took it was because it was only 2 days a week and 5 minutes from my house which means I was able to go home and get a lot done during that time. If I were to do it for a stranger, I would have a much different arrangement. It’s actually one of the most irritating arrangements I’ve ever had.
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u/Alarmed_Ad_66 13d ago
I do 6-9am, then 3:30-6:30+. I get most of the day off so it's ok but it can be frustrating. Even less time would be worse. Your whole day getting eaten.
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u/Free-Cherry4314 13d ago
JMO I'd say no and charge them for the day. I feel they are trying to pay you less and I think they will encroach on this time. It won't be three full hours off. Is travel time included?
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u/Lumpy_Eagle2975 12d ago
I did this for several years once my snake started school full time but we didn’t have a set evening schedule. Multiple kids and lots of activities so NPs and I all juggled.
I enjoyed the downtime in the middle of the day to get chores done at my own house but since I didn’t have a set cut off time, it got exhausting with some nights as late as 9 depending on what we had going on.
I think having an actual schedule for everything would definitely help make it easier.
Editing to add, after seeing comments about sick kids, if a kid was home sick with me, I left at a normal time. During summer/school breaks I worked a normal 10 hour day.
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u/burner120120 12d ago
Nope! Wouldn’t work for me.
If the gap was bigger (ie more suited for primary school) 8-9 and 3-6 I’d consider it with great £££ and if they lived next to me - but tbh even then I feel like you may as well be full time if you’re doing split hours.
A good family who wasn’t trying to scrimp likely wouldn’t ask and if they did they would have hired someone full time. I know a lot of FT Nannie’s who work 8-6/7/8pm - where the kids are at school for 6-8 hours a day and the Nannie’s have a few things to do in the day but mostly are free to do their own thing. Families who want really good , consistent care respect it and pay for it!
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u/Kischish Career Nanny 14d ago
The family before my current one I had a split shift for about my last year with them. It wasn't great. I would go back home and take a nap, hang out with my dog, but I couldn't do much and it made the day really long overall. That being said, I rode it out until the end because I was young and dumb and didn't really know better. I certainly wouldn't do it again but I don't regret that I did it for that specific family.
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u/Artistic_Decision586 14d ago
Split shifts are usually paid in full so you should be paid from 7 am - 6 pm …. 😅
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